The Bodyguard from Hell

In a simple, unadorned room, Lin Xiao stood upright before an enormous office desk. On the other side sat an elderly man, his hair speckled white.

“Dragon Sword Squad Captain Lin Xiao, reporting for duty,” he said.

The elder man with white hair looked at the vibrant young man before him with a mixture of emotions. This was the pride of the army, the most accomplished soldier in his jurisdiction.

“Captain Lin Xiao, are you truly determined to retire?” he asked.

“Yes,” Lin Xiao affirmed.

“Are you certain you won’t reconsider?” The elder asked, concern in his voice. “The Dragon Sword Squad has already suffered a tremendous loss with Yuan Yong’s tragic end. We simply cannot afford to lose you too.”

The Dragon Sword Squad was the most enigmatic special force unit in Xia Country, a dream sought by every soldier, and Lin Xiao was its revered captain. Yet now, this captain intended to retire.

Lin Xiao shook his head resolutely, “I regret the situation too, general. I don’t want to retire, but at present, I have no choice but to step down. There are more pressing matters I need to attend to.”

“What could be so important to warrant your departure?” the elder questioned.

Lin Xiao merely shook his head again, his expression unwavering as he looked at the old man.

“Very well,” sighed the general, seemingly helpless. “Since this is your decision, I’ll approve your application for retirement. But remember, Lin Xiao, regardless of what the future holds, never forget your homeland. The Dragon Sword Squad will forever be your home.”

“Thank you, general.” Hearing this, Lin Xiao’s eyes welled up and rendered the old man a standard military salute.

The white-haired man nodded in return. He then fetched an envelope from his drawer and said, “Lin Xiao, life outside the military is a different world. Since you have decided to retire, it’s the military district’s responsibility to ensure a smooth transition for you. This is an invitation letter from the Mo Long Group’s security director. They’ve heard about your impending retirement and specifically invited you to serve as their security director. The Mo Long Group has made quite a generous offer, an annual salary of at least tens of millions. It’s even tempting for me. I had hoped you would stay in the military, hence I hadn’t given this to you earlier. But now that you’re determined to retire, I think it’s time you have this invitation.”

The old man passed the envelope to Lin Xiao.

“The Mo Long Group?”

Lin Xiao accepted the envelope from the old man, his mind inevitably wandering to the memory of a young girl with a charming smile who used to call him ‘Brother Lin Xiao’ incessantly.

That was years ago.

He had just joined the Dragon Sword Squad and was soon assigned a mission to rescue Mo Ling, the only daughter of the Mo Long Group’s chairman, from the Fog Country.

This operation catapulted Lin Xiao to fame. He managed to confront the twelve Round Table Knights of the Fog Country single-handedly and saved Mo Ling.

His actions left them unable to retaliate and brought the underworld of the Fog Country to its knees. He also earned the title ‘Night Emperor’, marking his first step toward sweeping the world.

Years have passed in a blink of an eye. That innocent, adorable girl must be grown-up now.

However, he feared he might let Mo Ling down. He couldn’t accept the invitation, as he had even more important tasks to complete.

Holding the envelope in his hand, Lin Xiao found his mind flooded with thoughts.

“Alright, off you go now. Try to reassure your team. I don’t want to see the Dragon Sword Squad disband,” said the general.

“Understood!”

Upon leaving the room, Lin Xiao was stopped by four individuals who were anxiously waiting not far from the door.

“Cap… Captain.”

He looked at them with a trace of reluctance in his eyes, but swiftly put on a stern expression.

“What are you all doing here? Shouldn’t you be training?” 

“Captain, we heard that you’re planning to leave the Dragon Sword Squad. Is it true?”

Normally, Lin Xiao’s reprimands would send a chill down their spines, but today, their eyes reddened, staring intently at Lin Xiao, wishing for him to deny the rumor.

“Yes, I’ve requested for retirement, and it’s been approved.” Confronted by their hopeful gaze, Lin Xiao eventually nodded.

“Captain, why? Why would you leave the Dragon Sword Squad?”

“Captain, with brother Yuan Yong gone, we can’t afford to lose you as well. If you leave, the Dragon Sword Squad will truly collapse.”

The two in front voiced their concerns in turns, then fell into a brief silence.

The mere mention of Yuan Yong rekindled their painful memories and sent a shudder through Lin Xiao.

Yuan Yong, the deputy captain of the Dragon Sword Squad, their comrade, their brother, was someone they could trust implicitly on the battlefield. But now, he was gone from this world forever.

This tragic event took place just a month ago and was the primary reason behind Lin Xiao’s decision to leave the Dragon Sword Squad.

“So, the Dragon Sword Squad will collapse if I leave? Is that all the resilience you have? You are the chosen ones, the cream of the crop from tens of millions of soldiers in the eight major military districts. Show some ambition!” Lin Xiao recalibrated his emotions, saying sternly.

“Captain…”

“No more words, now hurry back to your training.” Lin Xiao cut them off.

But the four men didn’t respond. They stood firm like four walls before Lin Xiao, expressing their stand through silence and actions.

“What? Am I not still your captain? Are you all planning to disobey military orders now? Do you no longer have any sense of discipline or respect for me as your captain?”

“Captain…”

Faced with Lin Xiao’s reprimand, they couldn’t help the lump rising in their throats, fighting back tears.

As members of the Dragon Sword Squad, they had endured the pain of removing bullets from their own wounds with a small knife, without any anesthetics and without shedding a single tear. They had faced sleepless and foodless nights for three days straight without tears.

But now, they found themselves unable to hold back their emotions, their eyes brimming with tears.

“You’re all part of the Dragon Sword Squad. How did you all become so sensitive? Get back to training now.” Lin Xiao reprimanded them once again, but his voice trembled slightly.

His brothers didn’t wish to part ways with him, and he, too, was reluctant to leave them. However, he had no choice. There were more pressing matters that needed his attention, and he had to harden his heart.

“Yes, sir!”

This time, the four did not resist. They saluted Lin Xiao in unison, their voices echoing in the room. They then turned on their heels and left the building.

As Lin Xiao watched the four figures depart, his thoughts were tumultuous, and it took him a moment to regain his composure. He, too, exited the building and made his way to the training field.

“Salute!”

At his command, twelve of the most outstanding special forces soldiers snapped to attention, saluting Lin Xiao, their eyes filled with a mix of regret and sorrow. They were the most formidable soldiers of the Summer Kingdom. Alongside Lin Xiao and the late Yuan Yong, they constituted the globally renowned Dragon Sword Squad.

“Salute, dismissed!”

“Captain, farewell!”

“Farewell, my comrades, my brothers!”

***

In the capital of the Xia Country, at the headquarters of the Mo Long Group, a middle-aged man sat on a sofa in the top-floor office. He radiated an air of majesty. This was Mo Yong, the renowned chairman of the Mo Long Group.

The Mo Long Group, as a colossal enterprise valued at hundreds of billions, enjoyed substantial recognition across the country. Spanning multiple industries, Mo Yong, as the group’s chairman, held significant sway in the business world.

However, at this moment, he did not exhibit the typical composure of a successful businessman.

He spoke in a resigned tone, “Little Ling, you are aware of the enigma surrounding the Dragon Sword Squad. I have dispatched the invitation to the military district. If Lin Xiao doesn’t come, there’s not much else I can do.”

“Dad, can’t you ask again? Brother Lin Xiao promised to protect me after his retirement.”

Mo Ling, dressed in professional clothes, voiced her discontent to her father.

“Xiao Ling, there’s really nothing more I can do. I’ve exhausted all avenues of inquiry, but no one seems to know Lin Xiao’s current whereabouts,” Mo Yong confessed, helpless.

“Fine, if you won’t help me, Dad, I’ll find him myself.” With a cold huff, Mo Ling shot a glare at her father before exiting the office.

“Good day, President Mo.”

“Good day, President Mo.”

With the echo of respectful greetings, Mo Ling retreated to her own office.

She stood by the floor-to-ceiling window, gazing at the skyscrapers’ dense congregation below and the ceaseless human traffic, falling into deep contemplation.

The lingering sunlight pierced through the glass, illuminating her office, and highlighting her stunning beauty and imposing figure. She looked ethereal, swathed in a layer of golden light, enough to make any heart flutter.

Mo Ling, one of the four beauties of the capital, a Harvard Business School graduate, had taken the helm of the Mo Long Group as its president two years ago.

In a climate where optimism was scarce, she managed to bolster the performance of the Mo Long Group by an impressive forty percent.

“Brother Lin Xiao, I will find you, no matter what.”